Having read from a few that a properly driven HE-6 reaches close to the 009 sound, to those that have heard or own the HE-6, would going with an expensive headamp such as the Dark Star output better sound quality then a integrated amp > dummy load combination?

no, it wouldn't. go with the integrated (assuming it's a high quality amp)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DefQon

Having read from a few that a properly driven HE-6 reaches close to the 009 sound, to those that have heard or own the HE-6, would going with an expensive headamp such as the Dark Star output better sound quality then a integrated amp > dummy load combination?

The Simaudio Moon integrated amps are another to give a listen to. Find a dealer and take your hps down to give a listen. So far, those have impressed me very much. I've started reaching out to a few A/V stores to get a feel of what hi end amps can do for the 6s. Since they are so speaker like in sound, they really take on the feel of a speaker rig with hi end amps. Dare I say, 3-d like presentation. Caution, hold to your wallet fast and tight.

The Simaudio Moon integrated amps are another to give a listen to. Find a dealer and take your hps down to give a listen. Caution, hold to your wallet fast and tight.

I take it that you successfully held on to yours. Would love to listen to the 600i and there is a dealer in San Francisco which fills me with trepidation. No headphone output as far as I can tell. Do these dealers look at you as though you are half crazy as you explain that you wanna listen to cans from the 125 watt taps?

I take it that you successfully held on to yours. Would love to listen to the 600i and there is a dealer in San Francisco which fills me with trepidation. No headphone output as far as I can tell. Do these dealers look at you as though you are half crazy as you explain that you wanna listen to cans from the 125 watt taps?

HE6 on my Placette Active and First Watt J2 setup (with a Berkeley Alpha + Wavelink HS source) is about even with a BHSE+009 level of transparency, based on the testing a friend and I did. 009 pulls ahead on some tracks, HE6 on others. 009 has a bit more etch than the HE6. HE6 can sound hard/etched in some chains. Other people have also reported good results with the J2, though I don't believe they comped against other headphone setups.

The HE6s can get there but you need to find a top-tier chain.

No experience with the Dark Star. I doubt you can get to 009 territory with $3k with the HE6. Even something like the J2 benefits from a quality preamp. The HE6 is a picky beast. Recommendation is to focus more on quality of components rather than raw power. Some people seem to like the Dark Star with the HE6, but I'd really recommend demoing it before committing to a purchase. You can get a demo/used J2 (or F5 or M2) for cheaper than a used Dark Star, and the J2 makes a wonderful speaker amp. I would personally rather go with a no compromises Class A speaker amp over an integrated, and find a good mechanism for the volume control (like a Bent Audio, First Watt, or Placette device; some people also like Luminous and Promitheus).

HE6 on my Placette Active and First Watt J2 setup (with a Berkeley Alpha + Wavelink HS source) is about even with a BHSE+009 level of transparency, based on the testing a friend and I did. 009 pulls ahead on some tracks, HE6 on others. 009 has a bit more etch than the HE6. HE6 can sound hard/etched in some chains. Other people have also reported good results with the J2, though I don't believe they comped against other headphone setups.

The HE6s can get there but you need to find a top-tier chain.

I don't doubt for a minute what you are hearing Elysian. What puzzles me is that the J2 is rated at 25W into 8 ohms and many on the main HE-6 thread would state that is simply not enough to properly drive them. I realize the so called minimum requirement is 2W into 50 ohms but many believe this inefficient hp requires more for optimal performance. Thoughts?

At 8 ohm ratings, approx. 80-100wpc. Lessor wattage amps can be used with better power supplies. It's the power supply capabilities that determines the HE-6 performance. Chase is running a current amp with them and using a 4 wpc First Watt F-1. Best bass I've heard from my 6s. I bet that J2 sounds great.Edited by Happy Camper - 11/15/12 at 2:07pm